Absolution (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Your presence is required by Dr. McPhearson," one of the men spoke up. "Lady Kayla is free to continue on her way." All of them stood unmoving, waiting, even daring Selena to resist and give them an opportunity to make her life worse as they had for years now.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena looked panicked for a moment, glancing down at Kayla as her sister leaned against her side. “My ma wouldn’t this to happen now. Not while she’s sick.”

She didn’t have a choice as one of the cloaked men stepped forward and took her by the arm, shoving Kayla out of the way. Selena turned and looked at the man, jerking her arm out of the man’s grasp.

“If you touch me again, I’ll break your nose!” Selena growled, reaching out for Kayla.

 

[KieranSoares]

Another of the men snagged Kayla's arm and tugged her away from Selena to surround the older girl. Two men took Selena's arms, trying to wrestle her away from Kitty's room before it got too loud and they had one more woman to deal with

 

[heartofcourage]

“Selena!” Kayla cried out as she was pulled out of the way, terrified that something was happening to her sister. “Mama!”

Selena was not prepared to be swarmed by an entire group of men, bundled away from Kitty’s door to other parts of the keep. “Da!! Durban!!!” She cried out, trying to get someone’s attention.

 

[KieranSoares]

Just as Selena was about to be dragged into the visiting doctor's quarters, a blur of black and brown rounded the corner- Boar in his hunting gear. He slammed into the group with a snarl, sending two men sprawling to the floor. With a vicious left-hook, he dropped the last man holding Selena, and pushed between her and the rest of the group.

The cloaked men regrouped, ready to take Selena again as the ambassador emerged. "Away, boy," Meyer growled. "This is official business. The Princess will be inspected before she is considered for Prince Abel."

"Try t'touch 'er again," Boar snarled like a wild beast. "I dare you."

"You would be a fool to harm a foreign diplomat. Now out of the way. You, girl, come h-" As Meyer reached out to take Selena's arm, there was a flash of steel and Meyer let out the most agonized scream as Boar's axe sunk into his forearm, cleaning through one of the bones.

The cloaked men, panicking at the Spymaster's plans being put in jeopardy, all leapt on Board at once. Two were cleaved across the chest before they wrestled him up against the wall.

Another was suddenly dropped to the floor as a Claymore lunged out of nowhere in the hands of Tamblin Ghis. "Get off him!" Tamblin roared, throwing two more aside until he was between his children and the cloaked men.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Boar, stop!" Selena cried out over the melee, trying to get her brother to stop his rampage. "Lynndon!"

Selena struggled against the men that were trying to drag her into the room, only pausing when Boar was subdued and her father was suddenly there, threatening the men that were holding Boar against the wall.

Selena pulled at the men's shoulders, ripping them away from her brother until she was hugging him tightly.

"Calm down. Calm down, now." Selena whispered, her eyes frightened, but her words soft and soothing.

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar held Selena tightly for a moment before stepping forward, putting himself in front of her as their father squared off against the cloaked men who slowly backed away. Meyer and the dead men lay on the floor, the ambassador beginning to tremble as he lost blood and soon, consciousness as well.

"Lynn..." Tamblin murmured, looking down at the dying ambassador.

"They were draggin' Selena away fer God knows what!" Boar insisted. "You heard 'er call fer help!"

"I... Selena, are you alrigh' love?" Tamblin turned to her then, knowing none of the cloaked men would dare attack him even as they dragged the ambassador away in hopes to save him and prevent the war that killing a diplomat might cause.

Tamblin let his sword drop as he pushed Boar aside to look at Selena, seeing her dress tattered. "Did they hurt you, lass?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena shrank back from her father as he stepped forward, asking if she had been hurt. She looked up at him as he sought answers for what had just happened there in the hallway.

"I'm fine, but you promised me I would have a choice in all of this. They were about to drag me away like it didn't matter at all." Selena accused, looking at him with a slightly wounded look. "They even involved Kayla. I'm hoping she made it to Ma, but she's probably scared out of her mind right now."

 

[KieranSoares]

Before Tamblin could speak, Brogan and Durban rounded the corner as well. The whole thing had happened too fast for them to intervene in time, but as they saw the blood and the dead and dying men being dragged away, and Tamblin's blade on the floor, they weren't sure what to think. Tamblin lowered his head as his eldest four children stared at him, looking for some explanation. "You were t'be given a choice..." He murmured. "Because I can' outright say no... An' now Meyer'll either die, 'r go back an' tell Lochlan my son tried t'murder 'im, an' we'll 'ave a war on our hands again."

The Invernessian Spymaster appeared then, pausing to look over the scene with a frown before speaking up. "My lord... what were you thinking?"

Tamblin turned to Oliver with a glare and snarled, "Your men tried t'drag my daughter t'tha' doctor without 'er permission, you fuckin' rat."

"I was told the Princess had consented," Oliver glanced to Selena at that. "After all, a good daughter would want to save her family's kingdom from annihilation at the hands of foreigners, wouldn't she?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena stared at Oliver as he spoke about war, suggesting that she might have caused it with her refusals. She knew if Inverness went to war her brothers would be forced to fight and her Ma wouldn’t survive. She glanced around at each of her brothers gathered and then at her Da. If she’s had any power in this situation, she had to do what was best for the moment all.

“If I agreed to this, would you stop this war?” Selena asked in a slightly defeated and small voice, taking a step towards Oliver.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It might take some extra begging considering what happened to Meyer, but I'm certain I can. Lochlan may be a mad bastard, but he has an interest in this all working out." Oliver gave her an unsettling smile. "Very noble of you, milady."

"No." Durban's voice made them all turn. "No one's touchin' my sister. No one's marryin' fer alliance. No one's submitting t'the likes o' you or O'Hennessey," he spoke so calmly, but there was a long-hidden fire in his eyes. "It stops now."

"Young master, you're condemning yourself to war with not only Lochlan, but potentially his son with an insult like this," Oliver reminded, his hands clasped calmly behind his back.

"There's only two reasons why this war keeps goin' on an' on. You," Durban looked to Oliver. "... And you," he looked to Tamblin, who averted his gaze. "You won' get rid of th'people profiting off this war, Da. Oliver's playing both sides. You could've beaten Lochlan a long time ago, but Oliver made you think y'couldn't. You could've made peace so many times, but Oliver said it wouldn' work. It stops now. Get rid o' him or I'll do it for you. Either way, Selena's no' marryin' Abel."

 

[heartofcourage]

“You don’t have a say in this, Durban.” Selena said, looking at her older brother as he tried to asset himself. “I lost the fight and if I have to go through...this...sham...I will. I won’t let any of your or ma die over something that I could have prevented.”

Before she could continue, Kayla and Ashien came scurrying in, each looking frightened beyond belief. “Da. Mama is dying.” Kayla said quickly, looking up at Tamblin. “She’s breathing funny and won’t wake up. Da, you have to come help.”

In the chaos that surrounded her, Selena could only state at pliver, knowing she had one choice. She had to go through with the examination.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Nothing is happenin' til Kitty's recovered," Tamblin growled quickly at Oliver before pulling away from the group, sword left forgotten as he rushed to Kitty's room.

Boar wouldn't budge from his place, and Brogan quickly took the twins away to calm them, leaving Durban there also unmoving. "Walk away, Oliver," Durban murmured. "I don' care if you guilt Selena into it, she isn't going into tha' room."

"Do as you like. But know that if your mother dies, there will be even more pressure on Inverness. The king will be weak and vulnerable, and Lochlan may just decide Inverness is easy pickings like the other clans. Do remember, young man, that you have enemies at all sides. Aberdeen and Glasgow are the only neutral territories left, and Inverness is bleeding money, people, and resources. Without Wick's help, Inverness will be a husk, or more likely, taken over before you have enough of a spine to take it yourself. Your sister could be your savior."

"I said walk away," Durban growled, his voice never getting any louder.

"Very well. The doctor will be waiting for your ultimatum, then." Oliver smiled to each of them before stepping away.

 

[heartofcourage]

"This doesn't involve you, Durban." Selena said harshly, looking at her brother as he sent Oliver on his way. "I'm not going to let you talk me out of this. If it means that Inverness has a chance at survival, that you will all be standing for years to come, how can I say no? I lost my fight with Da. I have no way to say otherwise."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You may 'ave lost, but I 'aven't," Durban reminded her, frowning darkly though he still didn't lose his temper. "An' I can tell you even if I lose, Boar an' Brogan won' let this go either. Until we're all defeated an' probably dead, you aren' giving in t'Oliver an' O'Hennessey. I'm no' foolish enough t'take them a' their word, an' I'm no' heartless enough t'let them use you t'get what they want. You do realize what they're goin' for, don' you? Inverness migh' still stand, an' I migh' still be a king in title one day, but we'll be a vassal state t'Wick, no' independent. O'Hennessey will keep takin' more. Taxes, military drafts, an' eventually he'll take th'keep an' give it t'whoever he wants t'be governor. Th'Ghis family won' survive Wick's political invasions. I'd rather die in battle than let this family fade, an' you don' get to decide otherwise until yer Crown Princess, which'll never happen if Lynn an' Brogan an' I have anythin' t'do with it." He'd never brought up his superior title before, nor overstepped her as the essential patriarch to their family. But he wasn't about to let her throw her own life away to someone else's whims, even if it meant fighting with her.

"Da an' I face off tonight," he stated firmly. "Whether Ma's still with us or not. Tomorrow morning, I'll either be dead, or Oliver's entire retinue'll be gone along with th'diplomats from Wick."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Durban, no." Selena said quickly, looking at her brother as if he had lost his mind. "I'll stop you if I have to. You're not going to challenge Da for anything."

She felt Boar wrap his broad arms around her, holding her in place. "Lynndon, let me go. I will go to Da right now and tell him what you're doing. I won't let this happen when there is a peaceful solution to all of this. I don't want it to happen, but if it means you will still be alive, then it would be worth it."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Selena, we've talked about this," Durban reminded her. "You know as well as I do tha' nothing's gonna change til someone else is on th'throne. Y'were behind me all th'way til you lost your temper an' challenged Da yourself an' saw th'reality o' the situation. I'm going t'finish this whether you can handle it 'r not. Da knows it's coming. I think everyone does now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're just angry. You can't do this when you're angry." Selena insisted, searching for any way to delay him or stall. "Not while Ma is sick either. She very well might die if she wakes up and finds that you've been killed. He won't go easy on you like he did on me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've stalled long enough... Ma knows my intentions. An' I'm no' angry, but I've reached th'point where my fear o' what'll happen t'you far outmatches my fear o' what'll happen t'me. It needs t'stop." Durban's gaze drifted to Tamblin's blade on the floor, and he leaned down to pick it up, blood still staining the blade. "I'll stop bein' a coward... an' start bein' a proper ruler, starting with rooting out Oliver's corruption."

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena felt panicked when she saw Durban picking up their Da's blade from the ground, promising that he would be a good leader. "Durban you don't have to do this."

She felt Lynndon hold her a little bit tighter and she felt tears in her eyes. She couldn't help it as they started to fall, feeling as if this were all her fault in some way. If she had just been better at fighting. If she hadn't been so stubborn about an arranged marriage. If she hadn't been so difficult since the moment she was born.

"We can't lose you, Durban. Not now." Selena muttered, sniffling as she stared at him. "We all need you. Ma most of all."

 

[KieranSoares]

"The choice is made, love," he spoke softly. "Looking back... It was made when we were toddlers, before Brogan an' Boar an' the twins were even born." He stepped forward and Boar let her go as Durban hugged her tightly. "I know you'll hate me fer all this... But I love you, little sister. If things don' go to plan, Ghell will make sure you're safe."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm not letting you do this." Selena sobbed against his shoulder, clinging to her brother as tightly as she possibly could.

Her argument was weak and she knew that she couldn't stop Durban even if she wanted to. He would do it no matter what she said. She would lose her brother, the one constant in her life since the day that she was born.

"You have to tell Ma. Before you do anything." Selena begged.

 

[KieranSoares]

"If she's awake and stable... But no promises." Durban muttered softly before looking to their younger brother. "Lynn. Keep an eye out for 'er... But first we all need t'know what's goin' on with Ma."

 

[heartofcourage]

When the children entered Kitty's room a few moments later, Kitty was awake and dazed. She shivered as a doctor bled her from a vein in her ankle, seemingly unable to get warm. She was dimly aware that anyone else was there as she coughed and seemed to struggle for each breath.

"Ma?" Selena whispered, almost afraid that this might be one of her mother's last moments on earth.

Kitty's tired, dark gaze shifted to the trio that stood just inside the door and seemed to show some kind of recognition. She looked so impossibly small and worn out, pale and fragile.

"Mama, we're here." Selena said softly as she made her way towards the bed, pausing when she saw Tamblin watching from the shadowed corner. "You need to send for a tribal healer, Da. She'll die from more bleeding if you allow this to happen."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ghell's sending for one righ' now," Tamblin murmured, watching the doctor carefully before finally stopping him and sending him away. Human healers had done nothing helpful for Kitty for a long time, save Vincenzo. Tamblin quietly stepped forward, laying a hand on Kitty's forehead before fetching another blanket for her, quietly looking after his wife the only way he knew how.